I dislike the generalization that older players will dislike newer games and newer players will love them. I started playing Pokemon with Generation II, and later played Generation I, III, and so on. I still love Pokemon, I even love Generation 5 more than any of the other generations! I also know quite a few people that feel the same. I never actually got why people disliked new Pokemon, but I guess I'm incapable of getting tired of some things.
Is that even true? Has Pokemon become significantly less popular lately?
Sorry it took awhile to respond. I was out of town for a bit.
I guess it depends on who you are. I've noticed a lot of people who have acknowledged the general stagnation of Pokemon games, regardless of whether or not they're still Pokemon fans. You can still enjoy a franchise's sequels each time they come out even if you acknowledge they're flawed or repetitive. Heck, I know for a fact I would enjoy Pokemon Black/White if I played them, but it's still highly doubtful my disappointment in the series would be curbed, as from what I hear, those games in and of themselves didn't exactly do a lot to reinvent the wheel. It made some steps forward, but I saw nothing in them that changed my mind about the series. I suppose I'm mostly speaking for myself in this area, but I know I'm not the only one a little tired of Pokemon's constant formula. So I'm not saying older fans will
dislike the newer games, but I am saying the new games most likely won't have the same kick for them as when they first got involved. That's not a fact, just a thought conjured up by yours truly.
What you're referencing in the second paragraph is a similar thought; my keywords are "may" and "likely." Pokemon still stands strong in the video game community, but I'm not entirely sure how much longer that'll last, especially if they churn out sequels as fast as they are and fail to innovate sufficiently on all of them. Some will stick around and enjoy each new Pokemon game as if it was the first time all over again, but I suspect many would begin to fall away when each new game they played was not only so similar to the rest, but they were reminded of that fact so quickly because of the small waits between releases. Again, not a scientific fact, just a random thought of mine that may or may not come to pass.
In short, I'm wary of Pokemon's future, but I'm not condemning it or saying everyone else is disappointed.